Don’t miss the new laugh-out-loud rom com from the author of One Week ’Til Christmas! Perfect for fans of Mhairi McFarlane, Rosie Walsh and Josie Silver.
In the space of a week, Katharine Patterson has quit her job, decided to move back home, and broken up with the guy she thought was the one.
No big deal.
Because Katharine has a plan. She’s going to open her own art gallery, just like she’s always wanted. What she’s not going to do is worry about boyfriends.
Then she meets Kit, a handsome and talented local artist. He might be the most stubborn person Katharine has ever met. He might also make her feel like no one ever has before.
And Katharine might be about to fall accidentally in love…
An avid reader and daydreamer, Belinda Missen can often be found behind the wheel of her car, buzzing about while devouring audiobooks. Her published works include A Recipe for Disaster, and the bestselling One Week ’Til Christmas.
As well as writing books, Belinda recently co-authored the screenplay adaptation of Escape from the Commodore 64 with David Hearne. It has since received official selection at the Los Angeles International Screenplay Awards.
Residing in Australia, Belinda is currently working on her next novel.
Erm, have I accidentally fallen a bit in love with this??
Yeah, you bet.
This was genuine, sweet and it definitely had this interesting vibe to it, the one that every good British rom-com has.
It was also laced with the amazing aesthetic of art and colour and paining and the mild chaos that follow painters and artists around everywhere they go.
And I loved Katharine from the very first chapter.
She is witty, funny, snarky and she’s not afraid to do crazy stuff. If she is not pleased with the way her life goes at the moment, she immediately makes a 180-degree turn and goes for a direction that might be right for her. I love that about Katharine, I really do – her determination not to let her life suck anymore.
She’s also such a mood, I swear. Read and see, I’m telling you she’s relatable as hell. I simply loved this.
And she has this crazy, beautiful family that I absolutely adored! I bet they are the best to be around, you know, making you feel welcomed and making you laugh with their free-spirited personalities. Laugh until the milk might spill out from your nose type of fun.
Kit, the not-at-first love interest here, is the type of the complicated, artistically tortured genius at first. Don’t expect to fall in love with him form the very beginning. I didn’t. But as the plot went on, I started warming up to him, mainly because his and Katharine’s banter was fucking amazing.
I mean, they flirt like no one’s business even when they don’t realise it and they also can become a bit naughty when that banter of theirs hits some interesting topics. A total masterpiece of dialogue, if you ask me.
And as the action goes on, they are becoming sweeter and sweeter to each other and I love that (itty bitty tiny spoiler: Kit bakes bread!!).
One thing that I would’ve loved for them to work on is their communication skills. They really don’t listen to each other and it really annoyed me at times. GET RID OF THE WAX IN THERE, OPEN THE DAMN EARS UP. Especially you, Mr Kit. Listen to what people say, don’t jump to rushed conclusions like an old maiden to marriage.
Aside from that, I do believe those two are great for each other. And I do believe he’s what Katharine needs because she tends to surround herself in general with sucky people that don’t deserve her affection.
The only major problem I’ve got with this book though (aside for the shitty people mentioned two above) was that ending.
Everything happened too quickly after all those many many pages when things went somehow normal-paced. Like, what was that? I felt like if the book was at least three chapters longer there it would’ve been just right, but like this, I think it was a tiny bit too rushed.
Apart from that ending though that made a bit of less sense than I expected, this was a really good rom-com. The writing was great, the characters felt real, the banter was absolutely brilliant and the general idea of it had a very good vibe to it.
Cute, mouth watering, deliciously sweet and heartwarming book gives you enough positive energy to get through your hell of a week! And I enjoyed every second of it! Genuineness,naturalness of the characters and realistic, honest approach and storytelling skills of the author make you like more this up-lift, feel good journey.
There are not so much romcom cliches, illogical coincidences and exaggerated funny and inappropriate situations at this book. Everything seems like the reflections of your daily lives. The characters’ challenges, dreams and struggles are honestly told which help you to empathize with them.
Kate works her ass off in the art world of London as a curator but she gets sick of seeing the promotions she highly earns strictly go to the unqualified male candidates! And her relationship goes to nowhere. She feels trapped, suffocated and hopeless so she decides to take control of her life by quitting her job and dumping her boyfriend, moving back to Sheffield-her hometown- to open her own art gallery.
Of course her father is delighted to have her back and he pushes too hard to match with good looking local artist Kit.
Well, as you may imagine, both of them are too stubborn to deny the attraction between them and their quick daily banters, attempts to push away each other end up with more growing and sizzling chemistry.
I loved both of the characters and their passion for art, dreams, their fight against the things hold them back.
Overall: it’s easy, fast, enjoyable and highly recommendable reading!
Special thanks to NetGalley and HQ Digital for sharing this entertaining ARC with me in exchange my honest review.
A sweet and uplifting British rom-com about following your dreams
Katherine has had enough, she quits her job as an art curator in London, and moves back home to Sheffield. Kath dreams of opening her own art gallery, will she go for it? Meanwhile, Kath's dad tries to set her up with Kit, a local artist, but they instantly butt heads! Kit is stubborn and challenging, but will they accidentally fall in love?!
I adored Accidentally in Love but it felt more like chick-lit/women's fiction, rather than a rom-com at times. This wasn't a smutty romance, but was more of a heart-warming tale of starting over, family and friendships, with some romance thrown in! Belinda Missen took time to establish Katherine. the main character, before diving into the romance, and I liked that. I love a book which doesn't just focus on the romance, and this one was just full of wonderful side characters! Kath's family were amazing, and there was plenty of page time devoted to her dad, his girlfriend Fiona, and her brother Adam. I loved them as a unit, they were so much fun, and their love and support of one and other was just so genuine, it warmed my soul! I also liked their individual relationships, Kath with her dad, and her touching connection with Fiona. Kath and her brother, Adam had some great banter, and were just so supportive of each other! I would love for him to get his own book!
Katherine was wonderful! So strong, independent, feisty, and yet warm and funny too. This book was just as much about her finding herself, as it was about the romance. Kath had such great character development, and I really enjoyed being there with her on her journey!
Accidentally in Love was also about friendship. Kath had been friends with her best friend Lainey since childhood, and it was an interesting and realistic look at how friendships can change over time, and how difficulties can arise as you both get wrapped up in your own lives.
There was lots of art in this book, and discussions about art, which was great. I don't know much about art, but I enjoyed both of the main character's passion about it.
Kit, the love interest wasn't introduced for a while, and then him and Katherine didn't get on at first. I have to admit that I didn't like him at first, and thought him stubborn, a bit pretentious and judgemental! But he definitely grew on me as I found out more about him, and it was worth sticking with him. Learning why he is the way he is did make me shed a tear or two. Also Kath and him had such a connection, a shared experience, that it was lovely to see them move past their initial hatred of each other. Plus, they have some great flirtation, and witty banter!
The drawback of this book was definitely the lack of communication a few times in the middle of the book. It frustrated me, and I found myself getting annoyed with both Kit and Katherine! The ending also felt a little rushed.
However, if you're looking for an easy, comforting read, I would recommend this, because it made me smile, laugh and cry, then left my little heart feeling full. It's perfect fans of Mhairi McFarlane.
Many thanks to NetGalley and HQ Digital for the Arc, in exchange for an honest review
You see the tagline laugh-out-loud rom com sprinkled about like confetti these days, but Accidentally in Love absolutely lives up to it—Belinda Missen is a new-to-me author and as far as firsts go she delivered, and then some.
I do love a good bit of bants.”
There’s never a dull moment for Katharine as she takes hold of her life and makes the major decision of leaping from art curator to gallery owner. Stubborn and determined, she’s cheered on by her supportive, eccentric family who waste no time in introducing her to brooding, frustrating local artist, Kit. And the sparks fly.
You were getting on like a house on fire. If that fire was lit with petrol and a match and was burning off toxic plastics.”
Katharine and Kit’s verbal sparring was absolutely on point for me, dry, quick and with innuendo, not only were they funny, they were natural. And I loved how this story didn’t just focus on their romance which to a point is secondary to Katharine’s own journey, and her family play a huge part bringing even more giggles and some touching, heartwarming moments.
We get along well when he’s not being rude.”
With drama that wasn’t too overplayed and swiftly tied-up, Katharine and Kit hit all the right spots. There’s always something special about discovering a book set on your turf—I loved how the gallery was Sheffield’s historic Old Fire Station—and curling up with this was simply home to me. If a fresh, charming, fun read with a grumpy man to love takes your fancy, this is one to tickle it with.
Copy received courtesy of HQ Digital via NetGalley for an honest and unbiased opinion.
When I picked up this book I actually smiled. Yes I did because I just know what to expect from this author and she delivered just as I knew she would. This book just made me feel good as it swept me away into Katharine's life.
Katharine has had enough! After being passed over for a promotion at the gallery...she packs her stuff up and leaves, without as much as a goodbye! She has lost the position she has worked so hard for to the buddy of her boss. Good thing she has her boyfriend John for support...oh wait...not exactly. John can't commit to a cup of coffee....yet she keeps hanging on to him. UGH...
When she takes off to her hometown to start her own gallery, I keep hoping she will find love. Although it seems to be unlikely with the current company she is keeping...her brother, her father...oh and there is Kit. Yes there is Kit..he is..a challenge. He gives her a run for her money and I love it. The snarky banter back and forth. They loved to hate each other. Will this be an enemies turned lovers? Will John finally see what he had?
I loved this rom-com and flew through it! The characters were so well developed that I felt I knew them. If you just want an easy read that will entertain you and make you smile this is the one for you. It will make you feel all warm inside.
Thank you so much to Rachel's Random Resources for having me along on this blog tour. Thank you to HQ for this gifted copy via Netgalley for an honest review. Thank you Belinda Missen for putting a smile on my face once again!
This was an unexpected love for me. Based on the title I thought this was going to be your tradional rom com and in some ways it is but it's different enough to be memorable.
The story follows Katie who uproots her life in London after she is passed over for a promotion... Again. Deciding to forge her own path, she decides to move back to her home town and open up her own gallery. The book is filled with some of my favorite tropes, enimies to lovers, a strong female lead and a strong family aspect.
One thing I really loved about this book, which I didn't think I would like is that the author spends the first half of this book really establishing Katie as her own character. We meet her love interest early on, Kit, but no real romance starts until the second half of the story. I enjoyed this because I loved seeing the attention given to some of the side characters such as her parents and her brother. Katie is also able to find herself before she jumps into another relationship and by the half way point you can already see how much she's matured.
Once the romance does start, it melted my heart. I loved seeing kit and Katie come together and work through their issues. All the foundational work the author layed to establish their hatred really pays off when hatred turned into love.
Overall I highly recommend this book for any romance lover out there.
I receive a complementary copy from netgalley in exchange for my honest opinions.
…she looks like the poster child for corporate office perfection, whereas I’m sure I left the office looking like the love child of Beetlejuice and Alice Cooper.
‘Go easy on the old boy… He thought Kit would be right up your alley.’ ‘Let me be very clear... He’s not going anywhere near my alley.’
… there’s a teensy bit of smug satisfaction that comes from knowing he’s stuffed up so badly. Who am I kidding? The schadenfreude is a strawberry milkshake, and I’m so very thirsty.
‘Can I tell you a secret?’ He leans in and fixes me with such a look I’m certain he’s about to unload nuclear codes on me.
Everyone has those mornings where something simply doesn’t feel right… It’s more a charge in the air. That’s how I feel right now, life slipping off-kilter as I step into the bridal shop. A bell above the door tingles to alert the God of mischief that it’s time to suit up.
My Review:
I always enjoy delving into Belinda Missen's books as every one of them that I’ve had the pleasure of perusing as been lively, fun, cleverly amusing, and delightfully irreverent, and this one was no exception. And in addition to all that, it was also highly entertaining and thoughtfully perceptive. There was a brilliant and well-honed balance of humor, interpersonal conflict, family issues, witty banter, romance, personal loss, deep friendship, angst, and unabiding familial supportiveness. The storylines were teeming with uniquely flawed and oddly compelling characters full of unusual quirks that provided unexpected levity as well as additional creative story elements.
I smirked and snickered my way through this engaging tale and picked up a bit of artsy knowledge along the way as well as a new addition to my Brit Wordlist with lurgy, which Mr. Google told me is British slang for ‘A fictitious, highly infectious disease; often used in the phrase "the dreaded lurgi", sometimes as a reference to flu-like symptoms.’ I recall suffering several reoccurring bouts of lurgy in high school – an excellent cover story for my perpetual truancy.
Thank you to Netgalley and HQ Digital for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
(actual rating: 3.5/5)
I really enjoyed reading this book, because even though it's marketed as a romance, it's so much more.
This book follows Katharine, an aspiring art curator, as she upends and takes back control of her life. After quitting her job, dumping her almost-boyfriend, she moves back home to pursue her dreams of opening an art gallery. The story mainly follows Katharine and how she deals with her friends, family, and the work it takes to set-up her gallery. Enter: Kit, the handsome, brooding, and ridiculously stubborn local painter who seems to cross paths with her everywhere. Katharine's given up on boyfriends, but she just might fall in love. Accidentally, of course.
What I really loved about this book was Katharine herself. It's rare that I love the main character as much as I enjoyed reading this book from Katharine's perspective. She was determined and brave in an incredibly refreshing way. It was honestly quite fun reading about her character arc and all she manages to do.
The romance was absolutely adorable and I loved it. That's all I've got to say on that.
On the other hand, however, a really big problem that I had with this book was how rushed the ending was. For all I could rave on and on about the build and the character development, and just how amazing Katharine was in general, the ending just didn't do it for me. I very clearly remember being at the 90% mark in this novel and thinking, this is not going to end well, in that there was no way the resolution would be satisfying for me.
Unfortunately, I was right (but why does this never happen in math class?). I strongly disliked the way the book ended, because even though overall it was really cute, the ending ruined things a bit. It rushed to provide a happily-ever-after without giving me a sense that things were over, that all loose ends had been tied. Mostly, however, it was just plain disappointing, seeing as to how much I loved the story itself.
All in all, I really enjoyed this, if not for the ending. I would definitely recommend it to readers who want a bit more than just another rom-com, leaning almost towards women's fiction, or an all-around funny main character.
** Thank you to the publisher an Netgalley for a complementary ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review**
4.25 stars
Accidentally In Love was such a refreshing, sweet rom-com, I thoroughly enjoyed it! We follow Kate, who has been down-trodden in her life as a curator at a London gallery, as she is consistently being passed up for promotions who are instead given to less-qualified male applicants, and is also frustrated with her personal relationships being stuck in a rut. Frustrated, she quits her job, and decides to move back home to Sheffield, to open a gallery of her own. There, her father tries to make a match between her and an acclaimed local artist, Kit, however they instantly rub each other the wrong way (mostly because they are both far too stubborn an similar).
I really, thoroughly enjoyed this. Banter on point - and the relationship seemed very natural and sweet, but the book didn't just focus on that aspect. I feel like a lot of rom-coms fall into the trap of focusing on nothing but the relationship between the two, and neglect all other aspects - this did not do that !
I absolutely loved Kate's family dynamic as well! This book has so many touching moments that I absolutely adored.
The character growth of both Kate and Kit in this is absolutely phenomenal, and really well-executed as well! I was in the mood for a great pick-me-up read and this really hit the spot.
My only niggle is that towards the end, things escalated very quickly! I would have loved to see that development over more pages!
Katherine Patterson is a 35-year-old curator at the Webster Fine Art Gallery in London. When a well-awaited promotion is given to Steve, also known as Bloody Foot Fetish Steve, who deserves it less than her, she decides to quit her job. After her boyfriend, John humiliates her at a work dinner, she leaves him too. Kit is an artist and runs an art school at Loxley. He is also a friend of her father’s. They meet and sparks fly. She also decides that she wants to run her art gallery and moves back to her hometown to do so. Can Katherine achieve all that she dreamed of?
I take a deep breath and resist the urge to trip him. ‘I want you.’ He lowers the wheelbarrow and takes a slow deep breath. ‘Well, I must say, that’s the most forward a woman has been with me in years.’ He glances at his wrist. ‘We don’t have long, but I’m sure I could- ‘I didn’t mean it like that.’ My face is on fire.
Katherine and Kit were the best part of this novel. Their humorous, awkward banter brightened the mood. Their scenes were repetitive but funny and realistic. She runs into him everywhere; the bar, their dad’s store, the grocery store. From their very first scene, I shipped them and was waiting for them to get together. Although Kit helped Katherine in many ways, her brother Adam was her all-time rock. I liked his character and hope he gets his book. I also enjoyed how career-oriented Katherine is and all the details regarding art.
‘No’? With a small hand gesture, he offers to take my shopping basket. I let him, and the physical load it relieves almost feels like a metaphoric one, too.
The novel picked up pace in the second half. The ending felt rushed. I enjoyed the dialogue. Most of the lines were comic enough to make me laugh out. Their romantic subplot could've been introduced earlier in the book. This novel is in the first person from Katherine’s perspective. There were a lot of words I haven’t come across in other novels set in London, such as thinners, gauntlet, twonk, and more.
Accidentally in Love delivers what it promises, a laugh-out-loud romantic comedy indeed. Recommended to anyone who wants to read a casual, fun romance. ARC provided by HQ Digital and NetGalley. Thank you. #AccidentallyinLove#NetGalley.
Thank you to NetGalley and HQ Digital for inviting me to read Accidentally In Love and providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
My review will be up on my blog on March 16, 2021 at 11 AM CST for everyone to read. For now, here is a preview of what the review will look like:
❀❀❀❀
Accidentally In Love tells the story of Katharine who quit her job and moved back home in order to open a gallery. Along the way, she must choose things that help herself and that help her loved ones. But, that also comes in the form of Christopher "Kit" Dunbar, a stubborn, handsome local artist that seems to disagree with Katharine every single minute of their interactions.
I gave Accidentally In Love four stars, loving the enemies to lovers aspect of this book. Katharine and Kit's relationship was adorable and the tension between them was...
Girl leaves city to start up her own… gallery! Ok, so it’s not the most original of stories and it’s become a common, popular theme recently but, hey, I enjoyed it and relished in the easy-going nature of the plot. No wicked surprises in the chapters, it was an ideal read you could take to the beach.
Katharine has clearly convinced herself that her “relationship” with John is eventually going to progress into something serious. However, at an embarrassing work dinner, Katharine realises she needs to make a change. This sets off a sequence of events whereby Katharine moves back to Sheffield and explores the idea of opening her own art gallery.
I like these types of stories because it reminds me how much independence women can have. Katharine is determined to succeed on her own, without any financial hand-outs from family. The relationship she has with her brother is lovely and made me feel all warm inside; it was great to see how supportive they are of one another. Furthermore, the banter that exists between these two characters and across the book added to the entertainment value of the story.
Broody, miserable Kit has the expected hidden background. It takes a while for Katharine and Kit to make a connection and I enjoyed watching their explosive conversations before they become friends. It is clear that they will end up together, but I liked the path that Missen takes these characters on; not only do they learn more about themselves, but also how they behave with others.
I found I could not trust Katharine’s best friend, Lainey. I felt she was far too selfish and made Katharine appear submissive. Lainey, due to be married, expects more and more from Katharine and, from my perspective, offered very little support for her friend’s new venture. Of course, friendships survive in this type of book, but I wish the writer had shown Lainey as a more reformed character.
The novel charts Katharine’s actions as she moves to open her gallery. I was pleased to see the book finish on her opening night but I wanted to know more about what will happen next to the central characters. What is in store for Kit and Katharine? Will Lainey have a happy marriage? Katharine’s parents: what is in store for their next adventure? Will Adam find happiness? There were just too many questions that I hope means Missen will write a follow-up to such a lovely story.
With thanks to HQ Digital, NetGalley and Rachel’s Random Resources for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is one of the most unromantic book i have read this year. The heroine and hero doesn't even have much communication or scene for the first half of the book. It was weird because this is a romance book and there's supposed to be romantic development between the protagonists which didn't happen but the title is Accidentally in love?
Moreover, i didn't understand neither of the protagonists . By the way, the cover is really cute.
Arc provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Surprised how much I enjoyed it! I expected this to be a book with little to no character development and I was pleasantly surprised, character development, great plot, some witty back and forth banter and great details about setting, I felt like I was actually there in the room with the characters.
The only downside is how mean the characters are towards each other, sometimes , but more than once and that annoyed me.
Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 3.5/5
After Katherine not getting the promotion she rightly deserved, she quits her jobs. She also decides to stop seeing a guy who doesn't want anything serious and decides to move back home and open her own gallery.
She meets Christopher, an artist who runs an art school, and eventually start working in a gallery project together.
There's an enemies to lovers vibe at first and it's definitely fun to see their banter. They have very different views from art and argue a lot about it, so of course there's plenty of art references.
I also liked her relationship with her best friend, Lainey and the dialogues between them were awesome.
I just wish there were more chemistry between the two main characters. Even though, they were cute together, I felt like there was something missing.
I rated this one 3.5 stars but rounded up to 4 stars! It was a bit of a slow beginning and ended up being less of a romance novel and more about Katherine’s journey to opening an art gallery. If you’re looking for a quick, smutty read, this one isn’t for you. If you’re looking for more of an in depth, meaningful romance, I think you’d really enjoy this book! There’s a large amount of enemies to lovers as in the romance doesn’t even come in to play until about 65% into the book however, I loved the characters. I think there was a good amount of character development and the ending was so sweet and heartwarming. Overall, it wasn’t what I was expecting, but I still ended up enjoying it! Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review. You can pick up a copy of your own on September 11th!
Nice book with banter and nice dialogues More chick lit than romance Cute but maybe I am more in a mood for more angst worth reading Well written and edited 3,5 stars well deserved
Note : I received e-copy of this book as a part of blog tour, in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to Rachel for tour invite and publisher and author for providing review copy via NetGalley.
Accidentally In Love was heart-warming romcom that revolved around Katharine’s idea of her own art gallery and how her life changed in space of a week. It was about dream, life, struggle, friendship, family, love, and drama.
Characters were great. I liked all side characters. Family dynamic was amazing. Romance was lovely. At first both couldn’t stand each other’s presence. They argued and fought, Kit belittling Katherine every time they met (I easily sided with Katharine), they didn’t see eye to eye and it created lot of drama and banter which was fun to read. Once they got over their differences and chatted without trying to prove something to other, things became sweet and lovely. Some scenes were adorable. It was sad to see how quickly things fell apart but I liked how Katharine handled things after that.
Overall, Accidentally In Love was lovely and emotive romance with hate-to-love arc, interesting characters, and entertaining banter.
Thank you to Netgalley and HQStories for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I was really excited to read this when I saw it on Netgalley - it has the romance cover I always gravitate towards, and it sounded like a cute "girl goes back to her hometown and finds a home there" story.
Which makes me all the sadder for not connecting to it. It could entirely be a me thing, and so I won't be adding a star rating until well after release (except on Netgalley where it's required) because I don't like lowering a rating before release (I'm weird).
Katherine quits her job suddenly when she's passed over for a promotion again for another friend of her male boss, breaks up with her "boyfriend" when she realizes he will never be committed to her over his job, and moves back to her hometown of Sheffield to open her own gallery.
This is basically the premise I had going into it, but one of the problems is this premise takes so long getting off the ground - she's still breaking things off with John almost halfway through the book, and it felt uncomfortably drawn out, like a lot of the book. Discussion of the renovation, conversations about nothing of value to the plot, and internal monologue all felt like they could be cut a LOT and the book would be better for it. There's only so much about a tesco trip I need to know, you know? Personal preference.
The exposition relies on conversations with friends and siblings at the beginning, which is usually fine, but her conversation with Lainey felt like one you'd have with friends after a few months, not with someone you work with and see every day. It was a small thing, but it stood out.
These issues for me was accentuated by the romance - which, considering this book is a romance, I would hope would be the shining point. Instead Katherine and Kit have one of the WEIRDEST first conversations I've ever read between love interests and then rarely talk unless they have small bickering moments until the last 200 pages of my ebook copy where they're suddenly into each other. I saw another review say it felt like the bickering was supposed to emulate Jane Austen, and I can see where that reviewer is going with that comparison. It just didn't make sense for these two. They were both described as stubborn but even with that and their motivations, I didn't feel chemistry between them (also, the flirting really weirded me out because it was sex jokes out of nowhere - again, could just be a me thing).
The plot had potential and I'm just sad I saw so little of what interested me - I would have loved if the book featured a lot of Katherine merging with Kit's students and learning more from them rather than just being surprised they were good. I would have liked is Lainey's development and interactions had felt different than night and day depending on the book needing conflict from somewhere other than Kit. It didn't make much sense for me. I would have loved more family time with Kit, and for the scenes we get in retrospect (cute scenes with her brother helping) to be more in the forefront than the paint picking scenes. This all just accentuates how personal my desires were for the book, but my heart tells me I would have liked this book if it had highlighted different moments and been cut down a fair bit.
I will say one more thing - early on in the book, when Katherine sees Kit for the first time, the book reads: “And he’s solid. Not in that need-to-lose-ten-kilos way, but solid in a broad-shouldered, rips wood apart in the rain and plucks kittens from trees like low hanging fruit kind of way.”
I don't have words for how quickly my good faith in this book turned sour when I read that. I had to put the book down for the night so I could try to separate it and keep an open-mind. Fat shaming of any kind - even though Katherine has a less than delighted opinion at Lainey's mother guilt tripping Lainey about eating before her wedding - shouldn't happen without consequence. So when it's a side comment Katherine makes that is never addressed, it colors my opinion of Katherine until the end, and it made me like her less. I call out language like this because I myself am fat, and men of all sizes read romance books even if it's in small numbers, and no one deserves to feel hated or judged when they're reading. No one.
I still really wish I had liked this, it never brings me joy to dislike a book, and I hope it finds its audience!
Well I accidentally fell in love with this book! The perfect British rom-com for a sunny afternoon outside or one the sofa sipping a cup of lemonade with ice or even a cheeky alcoholic beverage.
The sweetest and most uplifting story of following your dreams.
Katherine quits her job as an art curator in London and packs up back to her home town of Sheffield. Dreaming of opening her own art gallery. Her dad on the other hand is trying to set her up with local artist Kit, safe to say they don’t get on and but heads, kit is stubborn and challenges Kath. Will they fall accidentally in love?
I want to thank NetGalley and Harper Collins Publisher for sending me the eARC.
Firstly, Belinda Missen’s writing is so easy to gel with, I clicked with her instantly. I loved all the pop culture references and it was so very witty and funny I rather enjoyed myself through out this book. There’s never a full moment in this novel, you think surely you can’t keep hitting and yet she does and it’s so effortless which is my favourite funny books where the author isn’t trying to hard it just comes out naturally.
The relationship I loved the most though, apart from kit and Katherine’s was Kathrine and Adam’s how brilliant it was and written so wonderfully.
let’s get to it shall we? PROS:
- Banter, I love good humour it’s so hard to do. - The relationships between ALL characters, amazing, felt so real and I enjoyed it. - I loved the entire story
CONS:
!!!!!!! NONE !!!!!!!
I loved this book SO MUCH! The writing, the style, humour and settings. Her relationships with everyone in the book, how real they all felt and how relatable Katherine character actually was. I find myself want to read more of them!
I highly recommend you pick this up for a fun summer (all year round) read!
This was just okay. I didn't love it but I didn't hate it. I'm going, to be honest, and say that I was bored throughout most of this book. I did almost DNF this book at the 50ish % mark but just pushed through. I just didn't connect or care about the characters and what was going on in their lives. I didn't care much for the writing style so that could be why this was the middle of the roadbook. I will say I did laugh a few times while reading so that kind of kept my interest enough for me to finish it. Like I said before overall it was an average read for me.
Specially thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review
If you are into cheesy, clean, happily ever after Hallmark movies, this might be for you. I think the ideal audience for this novel is anyone who likes things to be wrapped up (very) quickly and perfectly.
Nothing is wrong with any of those things. I actually really enjoy a cheesy, cute novel now and then, but this one just didn't do it for me.
The beginning is strong. We meet Katharine at work as an art curator for a big gallery in London, and she up and quits because she has been passed over for a big promotion (for the THIRD time), while a man less qualified than her gets the job. I loved the feel of the initial chapter and the next few.
The one thing I truly did enjoy about this book is Katharine's work. I love how it started, watching the work she put into opening her own gallery, dealing with how terrifying it is to start over, etc.
Once you meet the love interest, though, is where I feel this book started to lose me. It seems as if it's trying to be an enemies-to-lovers type novel, but I just ended up thinking that Christopher was an immature asshole. These characters are in their mid-30's btw.
There is a way to write an enemies-to-lovers story (I've read so many good ones), but this just didn't have the character development required for it to really impress me or make me feel like these characters have any type of sexual tension between them. Their bickering actually had the opposite effect on me. I found myself not liking either of them.
Another problem I had is the predictability. I was able to guess just about every single thing that happened in this novel. As soon as we met Christopher, I knew exactly what is issue was going to be. I knew exactly how Katharine and Christopher would end up bonding and liking each other. I knew exactly what her and her best friend were going to go through.
What I didn't expect was how fast everything went down. The ending felt so rushed after such a drawn out book. So much time was spent on details of her shopping trips and we repeatedly get summaries of conversations/events that we've already heard about, yet the last 10% contains almost all of the conflict (which was pretty ridiculous) and all of the resolution (which was also ridiculous).
I completely intended for this book to be 3 stars at about halfway through, but the way Christopher acts toward the end upset me so much. It was unbelievably immature and quite dumb. Also, they've only been dating for about a week or two at this point? For the end of this novel to feel real to me, this timeline has to change. I get why he may be a little more ready than most men due to his situation, but... no. Just no. The fight they had and their reactions, plus the way they make up.. all of it is too soon for any relationship.
Something that might make this novel better is an epilogue. I need an epilogue to justify that abrupt and absurd ending.
Although a disappointment for me, I hope this book finds its rightful audience, and I have faith that it will.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I was drawn in by this cover immediately I’m suck a sucker for rom-coms with cartoon covers.
An art curator in London, Katherine, following getting passed over a promotion for the third time to less qualified men decides to quit her job and move home Sheffield to open her own art gallery, breaking up with her boyfriend in the process. After being introduced to local artist Kit by her father, he and Katherine become fast foes, constantly bickering, and teasing but upon spending more time together preparing for her gallery opening find themselves falling ‘accidentally in love’.
It took awhile for the book to really get started so it took me a bit to actually get into it. By 30% of the way into the book the protagonist hadn’t moved home, yet which was the driving factor of the novel. But once I properly got into it, I found myself engaged and finished it within the day.
For something which is a rom- com there is a severe lack of romance by half way through the book she had only interacted with the love interest a handful of times so you could see whatever was going to develop between them would be overly rushed and it certainly was. Once the romance aspect developed though I really liked their dynamic honestly preferring it to the enemies- to- lovers build up which is abnormal for me. Despite the lack of romance I was still interested throughout, and I was fascinated by the ins and outs of Katherine trying to open an art gallery.
Character wise I quite liked Katherine, I enjoyed her drive and passion for what she does and her relationships with the people in her family. Kit however I had issue with, his defining personality trait was being overly pretentious though this was explained and he did become less annoying as the book progressed still didn’t leave him as my favourite love interest.
Overall, this novel was light-hearted and witty and quite enjoyable just beware it certainly more com than rom with a lot less romance in it than you would expect.
This was a fairly pleasant read. It was predominantly about a woman at a cross roads with a little bit of romance of the chick-lit variety thrown in.
The majority of this book is Katharine changing priorities, jobs, residence and ditching one guy who can’t commit for another that has his own hangups. I found both relationships had a place in this book. It wasn’t as much of a hate to love as I expected, and as mentioned it wasn’t a true romance, if that’s what you’re looking for. Nothing major happens till towards the end, and it’s quite minimal at that. The whole journey of it is why I can understand Mhairi’s name mentioned in the synopsis, but the similarities in the impact of it stop there.
Katharine has a great relationship with her family and brother, I found I wanted way more information about Adam and I can’t deny I felt a random spark between Adam and Lainey.
There was drama between Katharine and her best friend, which I felt was out of the blue for me and unnecessary. There was a miscommunication with Katharine and guy #2 that felt wrong, I would have preferred guy #1 to create jealousy or something before the point that they got together.
The writing was quite good, some great one liners, but the book felt all over the place at times and was hard to connect fully to. I would checkout this author again though.
(ARC kindly provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review).
Let me start by saying that I think this was a funny book. I laughed a lot while reading this, because of the snarky comments of both the main characters Katharine and Kit. I also really loved that art was the main topic in this book, because I really love reading about art. It's just a lovely topic. I love how Katharine decides to turn her life around and do what SHE wants to do, not what people expect her to do. She decides to open her own art gallery and we get to read through the whole progress of it. The story was a bit slow because of this. The book in general took me long to finish as I thought there were too much details and events that didn't always have a significant meaning in my opinion. I did fly through the last 50% though! Kit was such an intriguing character in my opinion. He has this whole past he carries along with him, and it takes him long to elaborate a bit about it. I do think he was a really lovely character, with his own complicated personality.
Another downside to the book I experienced is that I didn't really like that some events happened too quickly, at an unrealistic pace. People falling in love too quickly, people making up after a fight in an unrealistic manner,... This is probably just a personal preference though.
I do recommend this book if you like a slow-paced book about art, finding yourself and love!
Thank you NetGalley and HQ Digital for the free e-arc. This in no way affected my opinion.
Thank you to Netgalley and HQ Digital for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Accidentally in Love is a soon to be released rom com novel about an art curator (Katherine) and her troubles with work, friendship, and love. In the first couple chapters of the book, we find out that Katherine has left her job, moved out of London, and broke up with her "boyfriend" of nine months. What happens next? Katherine moves to her hometown to start her own art gallery using the last of her savings, and unexpectedly starts butting heads with a local artist that her father and stepmom tried to set her up with.
Although this book was very cute and a quick read for me, it fell flat on the plot and relationship building. I felt as though I couldn't connect with the MC or her relationships with her family and friends. I felt so uncomfortable when she talked about "shagging" with her stepmom (if my stepmom said anything like that I would crawl into a hole and never come out). Honestly, I think this is the only book where I hated the main character and thought that the exboyfriend deserved better. If you want to discuss let me know! I don't want to accidentally give any spoilers.
I would recommend this book to those who love a quick romcom/hallmark movie type of book!
This was sweet and fun, and I loved cheering for this heroine.
As much as I gasped and thought Katherine's actions may have been very heat-of-the-moment, I admired her bravery to stop accepting less than she wanted or deserved. She as passed over, once again, for a promotion at work. Instead of accepting the terms of that boys club, she tendered her resignation and started pursuing her own dreams. I love that! I also admired her leaving a relationship she was comfortable in when she realized it was less than fulfilling. These are all difficult things, and even if this was fictional, I still love the idea of it.
I also loved her and Kit. They challenged each other from their very first meeting. The push and pull of their budding relationship was fun to watch. Kit really knew how to get Katherine fired up, and it was great to see her passions flare. The bantering they engaged in was amusing too. I was definitely smirking and giggling at times.
There were also a lot of really heartwarming moments throughout the book. Many involved Katherine and her family. I especially loved those interactions between her and her father's partner Fiona, as well as between her and her brother Adam.
Overall: A fun and sweet story of love and starting over that I really enjoyed.
Oooh, I love this! Pitched just right by the author, and a fabulously entertaining read.
Katherine Patterson ups and quits her job, suddenly and without forward planning. With a lack of art curator jobs on offer, she takes the leap into setting up her own gallery. Moving out of London, leaving behind the uncommitted sometime boyfriend, she is homeward bound and before she knows it, is standing in what will be her new premises. Off men for the foreseeable future it is, however, necessary to sweet talk artists of whom Kit is one. Taciturn, grumpy, stubborn Kit who may just be sparking something within Katherine that she was certain was in hibernation . . .
I have cheered for Katherine from the very start of this novel, and can imagine that every other woman will do the same. Oh, how I would like to be her! Taking giant leaps is admirable and rather inspiring.
Along with the very skilful writing, this is a fun read and the author's warm and witty words kept it flowing smoothly all the way through. Not only were Katherine and Kit great characters, I really liked her brother too; in fact, each and every person in the book was beautifully rounded and complete with their own idiosyncrasies. Brilliant writing and a smashing, funny read which is easily worth all five stars.
I got this eARC from Netgalley in exhange for a honest review 3.75 Stars I was a bit afraid i wouldn`t like the book, but i ended up really liking it. Some parts were a bit boring and long, but most parts were moving in a comfortable pace and we got to know the characters in a comfortable and nice pace. Though, i felt it a bit to wrap up very quickly at the end and that dragged the stars a bit down for my sake. But it was funny, lighthearted and nice.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Accidentally in Love follows Katherine who has just quit her job when she is turned up for a promotion in favor of a much less qualified candidate. She finds herself back home with a new dream: opening her own art gallery. The story follows Katherine as she struggles with money, family, friends and boyfriends. But as soon as she’s written men off, in comes Kit, a painter who is just as talented as he is infuriating to Katherine. But he also might make her feel like no else has before. The plot of Accidentally in Love was what immediately hooked me, it sounded so fun and light-hearted and did not disappoint. The character’s are genuine and realistic, they create a visceral setting full of love and witty banter. I loved the ways it touched on sexism in the workplace through Katherine’s career. She was a very inspiring character who never compromised her dignity or self-worth in favor of success. I found her efforts very admirable and her entire character to be very refreshing. The plot itself for me felt a bit misguided, I think it centered much more around Katherine’s career and the start of her gallery than the actual romance. I didn’t mind this at all but it was a bit confusing when I was past halfway through the book and there weren’t many hints of a romance. I think this stemmed from my initial dislike of Kit. When we are first introduced to him he is supposed to be abrasive, but I found him just plain rude and I don’t think I ever really got past that. I never quite understood why he was so intent on humiliating Katherine for the first half of the book which is partially why I am giving this 3 stars. My other criticism I believe is purely based on personal preference. The writing style simply wasn’t for me. I found myself having to read through sentences multiple times to understand what they were trying to say and it made the book drag a bit for the first half. After I got used to the writing I didn’t have as much of a problem but it did make the read a bit choppy for me. Overall this book is really fun. It’s a quick and easy read that covers some really important topics like grief and family. I really appreciated how accessible it was as well when it could have drowned readers in art terminology. It captured a perfect balance between showing readers the depth of the character’s knowledge about art while not losing readers to information about a subject they might not understand. I definitely know quite a few people who would enjoy this book so I definitely will be recommending it around. I’m very interested in picking up other works by the author as well!